New Zealand is wooing more Chinese visitors with a three-year joint China marketing strategy between its tourism and airlines sectors.

Their cooperation is based on a Memorandum of Understanding that was signed between Tourism New Zealand and Air New Zealand on Thursday in Shanghai, to promote long-term sustainable growth in travel demand between China and New Zealand.

"China, with its rapidly expanding economy, has become New Zealand’s second-largest tourism market, and is a key focus for New Zealand," said Chris Tremain, the associate tourism minister.

According to Tremain, 225,000 Chinese visited New Zealand over the last year.